The True Weight of a Suitcase

We’ve all been there, sitting on our suitcase the night before the journey in the hopes of squashing everything in place, fighting that breathless tug of war with unruly zippers that refuse to glide shut. We run through all our checklists, debate whether or not we really need five different tops for a three day weekend ( but what if we spill something on them?) and wonder if maybe we should have paid for extra baggage after all. We weight our suitcases and then we weigh them again, dreading the check-in process, already anticipating the airline staff’s scrutiny when they measure your slightly too heavy luggage before they (barely) let you through.

Undertaking a new journey is always accompanied by a flurry of excitement, undiscovered experiences waiting for us on the other side of passport control. There are temples to explore, new flavours bursting with the prospect of a culinary adventure to try and enticing events to enjoy. And although our suitcase is packed with all the essentials necessary to enjoy our holiday we forget that it’s not the only thing that we must take on our ventures. The true weight of a journey goes beyond the number on the scale at the check-in counter. We bring with us things that can’t be neatly folded and stuffed into a tiny compartment.

We bring with us our heart and mind, and the responsibility to nurture them as we dive into new experiences. For a journey to be meaningful we must feed the curiosity of the mind. Fill it to the brim with the colours and history of a different culture, learning and admiring new traditions. Dip our fingers into the creamy blue paint of a new experience, smearing new memories onto the canvas of our mind.  We must warm the heart with meaningful moments. Take a breath and pause to admire the sun bleeding orange into the sea, the last of the evening light lulled away by the swaying of the waves.

We bring with us respect and mindfulness. Respect for the communities we’re visiting, for their customs and laws. If we want to be welcomed as visitors we have the responsibility to honour the places we’re travelling to. Approach cultural differences with inquisitiveness rather than judgement, explore with a willingness to understand rather than condemn. We are only guests in their home, we cannot expect the flow of normal life to shift to meet our demands and expectations. Instead, by joining in the flow and atmosphere of the place we dive deeper into the culture of the place, washed away by the stream of unfamiliar languages, bathed in the laughter of stranger, awash in new enchanting new smells and sensations. 

We must apply mindfulness as regularly as sunscreen, only by being aware of our surrounds can we fully immerse ourselves into the richness of each experience. Only by being present can we connect with people and honour our journey and the lessons it teaches. By fully immersing ourselves we notice how life moves at a different place in different countries, we observe the unique mindsets and values each place holds and we broaden our human experience.

When we pack our bags to return home, we must fit more than souvenirs into our suitcase. We carry more than little trinkets to remind us of our sojourn across the border. We carry new perspectives and thoughts. A brief escape from our daily reality allows us to see the world through someone else’s eyes. It teaches us that people are largely similar, we all crave the same things - connection, love, expansion. Although we live in different places and speak different tongues we’re all just humans sharing one collective experience here on earth. Through travel, we learn that there are different approaches to life which we can adapt to our own routines. We may integrate more ease into our lives after our journey, inspired by the culture we beheld. By learning about others we cultivate creativity in our lives and transcend a new level of understanding and empathy.

So next time, when you’re getting ready to travel, instead of fretting about your  “to pack list”  just pause for a second and smile. Because a journey is a gift that weights so much more than a carry-on suitcase.